


Everybody Wants To Rule The World

by Thekingmakersdaughters



Category: The White Princess (TV), The White Queen (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Medieval, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-03
Updated: 2019-02-25
Packaged: 2019-07-05 20:19:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15871029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thekingmakersdaughters/pseuds/Thekingmakersdaughters
Summary: Edouard of Lancaster is the new king of England besides his wife Anne Neville after the death of King Edward IV in battle. The other three sons of York, Edmund, George and Richard, have had to flee into exile in Burgundy. How long will they have to wait to revenge their father and brother, and retake what is theirs by right?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a completely rewritten story. I hope you all like and enjoy it!

Edward IV had died fighting in the battle of Mortimer's Cross to secure his reign from the tyrants who had previously plunged England into a deep chaos of terror and corruption. The soldiers of York fought valiantly with their rightful king until they perished one by one without exception. Edward ended up being surrounded by his opponents and stabbed abruptly and incessantly across the side and even the skull to death. He breathed his last breath thinking of his wife whom he loved so much, his beloved daughters whom he either had enough time to protect from all that would happen after his death, his brothers whose survival he did not know, his father whom he admired so much but not enough to not make the same mistakes he did.  

Seeing that there was no possible chance of victory after the murder of his brother the king, the three surviving sons of York had to order the withdrawal of their moles before they lost the little army they had left. Edmund, George and Richard had to go into exile at lightning speed, leaving everything they loved behind before they were captured and killed like their brother and father.

When their mother Cecily Neville received the news she collapsed to the ground in pain. Once again she had to endure the pain of seeing her children flee abroad in fear for their lives, but this time with the heartbreaking sorrow of knowing that her first-born son, her greatest pride since she came into the world, had been brutally murdered.

Still, on the ground with her ladies around and the paper between her fingers, she relived in her mind with bitterness over and over again the last time she saw him. As smiling and seemingly carefree as ever with that self-confidence that so characterized him and helped him to gain followers for his cause. But even in spite of all the pain, there was no time to lose. It could be that men had left but that didn't make their families safe. They had to get safe too. Duchess Cecily and the wives of two of her sons, Isabelle Neville, Duchess of Clarence and Eleanor Talbot, Countess of Rutland, took refuge in an abbey in Oxfordshire.

The Nevilles had been unconditional supporters of the York family since the beginning of time in all the battles of the War of the Roses to win and keep the throne. However, the relationship between the then King Edward and the Earl of Warwick had become rough at the very least because of the overcharging of his in-laws, the Woodville family, who were considered unfit for power by the nobles as commoners.

His secret marriage to Elizabeth Woodville and the subsequent revelation to the court cost many followers of the king and the house of York, which weakened them in the face of their natural enemy, Lancaster. As a result, Warwick allied himself with them and married his youngest daughter Anne to Margaret of Anjou's son, Edouard of Lancaster, who was the new king.

* * *

 

The three sons of York flee into exile to the only place they thought that could be safe: Burgundy. Their sister Margaret was the Duchess of Burgundy and a very political woman. She had inherited all the beauty, intelligence and persuasion from her mother, a worthy Neville. The duke, on the other hand, was a hesitant, calculating and often insecure man. That gave Margaret the perfect excuse for convincing him in her favour everytime she thought it was convenient.

Secretly, Edward had contact with her before the battlefield making agreements with her to welcome and help their brothers if the worst happened. As the paternal figure for their siblings, he wanted to have everything solved before it could happen. The last thing he wanted was left them unprotected. In the same way, they were the best choices of his daughters for being safe if his wife permitted it. That conditional had troubled him until his last-second breathing.

Elizabeth Woodville was the daughter of a commoner despite the fact her mother, Jacquetta Woodville, was once a powerful noblewoman in her native country and one of the ladies and best friend of the Queen Margaret of Anjou when her husband was still alive. When Edward fell in love with Elizabeth and made her his queen, the Woodvilles changes sides for York without giving a second thought about it. With that marriage, much of them took important charges in the government making the nobles get angry and frustrated. Warwick the most of them. When the secret marriage was revealed to the court Elizabeth was already with child. A girl they would name Elizabeth, in her mother's honour. Two more girls came after: Mary, for the queen's sister, and Cecily, for the king's mother. But no son, no boy who could inherit the throne after his father. Edward didn't care so much because he had three young male brothers after him to succeed him if he died, but Elizabeth knew that it would mean losing everything she had worked for, not only for her but also for her family. She wasn't on good terms with Edward's family who saw her as a shrewd social climber. Elizabeth had been married once before. She was a Lancastrian widow with two not so little children she when met Edward. That never helped her to be accepted into the royal family or in Duchess Cecily's eyes. She knew that if something happened to Edward, she was completely alone with her children.

As long as her brothers were on the way, Margaret was warned by her spies in England about the disaster on the battlefield and the whole situation. She instantly sent a cautious letter to her still sister in law worried about the three little girls she had with Edward: Elizabeth, Mary and Cecily. Everyone knew that the health of the second of them was more delicate than her sister's or other children from her age. Also, when she was informed that Edmund, George and Richard crossed the Burgundian border, she sent a letter to one of her sisters in law whom she was on very good terms, Isabelle Neville, George's wife. Margaret suffered for not being able to console her mother in such pain but it was vital her presence in Burgundy for the duke to help her brothers and take England back again.

* * *

 

The new queen Anne Neville, her mother and the king's mother were escorted to London under the protection of one of the most loyal noble in the country: Edmund Beaufort. His family had always been loyal to Lancaster like Neville to York. He was pardoned once by the deceased king Edward but he refused to change sides and betray his family's history. Anne was terrified. She trusted her father to protect her from everything but she also had trusted York to win and pardon her father. Her marriage to Edouard was a hell from the moment it began. She never thought she would end up marrying the bad queen's son, a Lancastrian prince, now a Lancastrian king. Before marrying she thought that the wedding night and her duties to give him an heir would be the worst, but despite it was horrible his behaviour to her in their marital bed, the rest of the day was so much worse. Her nightmare's from childhood had become true and she couldn't understand why her father was doing that to York. She understood that Edward had offended him but, so much? Wasn't he the rightful king after all? The worst part was that now the Neville family was divided. Her father, mother and herself were now Lancastrians but her uncle John and most important her sisters Isabelle and half-sister Margaret hadn't changed. They were still loyal to York. For Isabelle and Margaret, it wasn't so simple. They were married women and they had to do as they husbands required just like Anne now. 

Entering in London, Anne could see horrified Edward's head on a pike at the doors of the city. She had to look away from it closing her eyes full of sorrow, crestfallen and with her right hand covering up her mouth. Her mother behind her caught cautiously her arm and put coldly her daughter upright. Her mother in law, Margaret of Anjou, watched the views with admiration. As if it were an accomplishment achieved, something to be proud of.

"You will never be a great queen if you aren't capable of watching your enemies deaths." Said Margaret without looking to her daughter in law. As if she were superior.

"It's not that. I don't see the necessity of showing his head in public. I don't support cruelty." Replied Anne. Margaret now looked at her somewhat surprised by her point of view and for all she had to learn. But before she could continue, Anne Beauchamp interfered in the conversation. 

"My lady the king's mother, my daughter is so young. She just meant that..."

"I know exactly what she means. If she is so young maybe she shouldn't wear the crown of England on her head. This is no game." She took a paused to go round Anne and look at her. "I have too much to teach you if you are going to be the queen of this country. Keep your eyes open. You will need them."

 

* * *

 Seeing his mother entering the throne's room, he went instantly smiling to her while she approached and made a vow to her son. Edouard saw also her wife and mother in law but didn't mind. The Earl of Warwick was also there with another nobleman from the war and went to hug his wife and then make a very proudly vow to her daughter before kissing her hand. 

"Have you find out mother? We have annihilated them!" Exclaimed Edouard enthusiastic as if he were a child and someone had given him a candy.

"I know my boy! I am so proud of you! And now you are the indisputable king of England as I always knew you would be!"

"Your majesty." Interfered Lord Somerset also named Edmund Beaufort. "We have won this battle but not the war. York now is debilitated but sooner or later they will come back for the crown. The three sons of York has escaped and we don't know where. There isn't a trace of the woman either."

"That is true my king." Now it was the Earl of Warwick who was speaking. "They will eventually come back and if we aren't ready, we will lose everything we have worked so hard on." Warwick's concerns were real but he had kept an ace up his sleeve. One that only his wife knew and nobody could even imagine. He was no king but he was called the kingmaker for something.

"We understand your worries my lords but there is no need to anticipate for now. Firstly we have to celebrate this victory. We don't want Europe and England to believe we are afraid or weak. I will send for our Tudor family. They are from Lancaster too and we much look stronger than ever. After that, we will make plans for war again." Concluded Margaret. She had ruled the kingdom when she was queen and it seemed that she intended to do it in her son's. Unless Anne stopped her.


	2. Chapter 2

The colourful window panes reflected the sunbeams through the crystals of the cathedral. It was the coronation day of the new king and queen of England and another celebration about the defeat of the Yorks. The place was full of nobles from all the country and the representation of other countries too. Principally France, Lancaster's mayor support, and Portugal, whose ancestors were Lancastrian. While Anne walked beside Edouard through the long hallway to the bishop amongst all those satisfied faces and couldn't help but feeling guiltless. She was there, being crowned queen while her sister was stashed and fearing for her own life, her York family in extreme danger and the Woodville little girls were hidden with their mother in somewhere. Like the rest of her family, Anne didn't have any affection for any Woodville but those girls, Edward's girls, were innocent children under the tutelage of their mother. An irresponsible woman who only thought about having more and more power in any case. That made Anne feel pity for herself. She always knew how much her father loved her and how much she admired him but he had separated the family and risked their own lives for just having more power and influence in the country. His only differences with that Woodville woman was that he was a rich nobleman by birth. An important difference but not relentless. If Elizabeth had been capable of marrying a king in her own circumstances, only a fool would underestimate her. There were rumours that she had taken refuge on Scottish soil, but that made no sense. To do so, she would have had to cross the entire Warwick-controlled North. It would have been impossible not to get caught. No one knew where she had fled to or how, but knowing how cunning she was, she would be closer than anyone thought,  waiting for a chance to attack. Even if she was very ambitious, if she thought she could do a coup d'état on her own and without a son to put on the throne, she was completely deluded. With Edward's death, she had lost much more than her husband or her influence in government.

Once seated on the throne, Anne could feel as the bishop slowly placed the crown on her head, the enormous weight on her shoulders and on her overall. But not because of the crown, but because of all that went with it. From now on both she and her husband would be responsible for every death, every rebellion, everything in their kingdom. She could see her father from a distance staring at her and smiling as if the crown was being placed on his own head and not on his daughter's. Despite all the admiration Anne always felt for her father, she could not understand why he had married her to such a monster in a royal house full of corruption and how far was he was determined to go. Sometimes when she was alone she asked herself if he was capable to let one of his daughters die so that the other could be queen. There was no word from Isabelle and that tormented Anne but none of her parents had said anything about the matter. Anne was reassured to know that George was not the heir to the York house. Like his brothers, he was a very capable man but that would have meant that his sister would be the queen whose crown Anne wore. It would no longer be a war between cousins, but also between sisters to death.

 The war was not over and that meant that even more people she loved could die. Not only her sister whom she longed for and constantly thought about, but also her York cousins with whom she grew up within the walls of Middleham, her father's protégés whom she sometimes considered as siblings, her uncle who was like a second father to her. Too much blood on his hands from those she considered family. And that was precisely the reason why even though Edouard and his mother were upset, Anne was also the monarch of the kingdom, and she was not going to stand aside under any circumstances. She could be a young girl, but she had the nature of her father and she was going to show it to the world for protecting her loving ones.

After the ceremony in the cathedral, the king and queen were escorted walking along the streets of London amid the relative silence and bows of the crowd. Some of them applauded and even trowed petals of red roses for them but despite Edward IV had been on the throne for only a short time, he had been able to make himself loved by the people and remained in their memories. The royal journey didn't last as it was expected due to the king alleged to feel too tired to end it, but not so much to pay off the party in the palace, thought Anne. One of their royal duties was to let people know them or an image of them. It was impossible to make them love and support them if they barely know who was ruling them. But Edouard was a child in a body's man with a sadic mind. Not even his mother dared to contradict him. 

During the festivity in the throne's room, Edouard was courting all the ladies around him, probably to get them into his bed whenever he wanted. Anne steadfastly looked at them. How he behaved and the smile of the ladies pretending to be flattered. They obviously didn't know as much Anne did about him. Even if he was the king, he was not a desirable companion for any woman, especially not in the sexual realm. To the other nobles around her, she might seem jealous of those ladies, but what she was really curious about was whether he was really misleading on them or they were just pretending not to notice.

Anne got up ready to go to her room and enjoy her solitude, praying to God in silence that her husband would not go to her conjugal bed that night. She smiled falsely at everyone who bowed to her as she passed but stopped when she saw her mother coming around with another woman beside her.

"Your Majesty." Both women said making bows. The other one looked at the ground without batting an eyelid. 

"You look stunning, my daughter. The crown suits you." Her mother Anne Beauchamp told proudly. "Your father and I are so much proud. This is just the beginning of our greatness." Susurred her mother giving her a hug. "May I present you Lady Margaret Beaufort. She is Edmund Tudor's widow." She looked at her daughter warming her about another of her enemies. She could look angelic but there was no secret that she wanted to put her son on the throne. She believed it was God's will. 

"Now Lady Stafford, your majesty. I remarried some time ago." Corrected Margaret Beaufort.

"Welcome at court lady Margaret." Said Anne being correct and measuring all her words very carefully. "I have heard some rumours about your husband's delicate health after the battle. I hope they are exaggerated and he can come to court with you and your son to swear his loyalty to our king." Anne knew how important was to have them controlled since distance for preventing any betrayal from their side. Family or not, this was a cousin's war.

"Our Lord's ways are mysterious. I pray for his recovery but he betrayed our house of Lancaster supporting those Yorks. As his wife, I tried to keep him on track but he decided to fight on the wrong side. However, the king in his mercy has allowed my son and his uncle to return from their exile in Wales." Margaret didn't look sad, rather pleased. Lord Stafford was known for being a good and benevolent man. Marriage was a political issue but Anne could not help but feel bad for him to be married such a cold-hearted woman who didn't care if he was executed for treason or not.

"They will be received in court as members of the royal household." Added Anne Beauchamp to her daughter with the same warming look.

"As it should be, Lady Beauchamp. My son has unjustified been in exile. Now he should be recognised as the royal heir to the throne." The arrogance of Margaret was somehow admirable and irritating at the same time.

"Your words could be considered treason lady Margaret. The title of the Prince of Wales belongs to the king's first son." Said Anne harshly. Thinking about York returning to England and regaining the crown as scary and hopefully for Anne, but the possibility that her husband designed that Tudor boy as his heir was definitely the scariest. Her family blood would have been spilt for nothing. 

"Forgive me, your Majesty, I didn't want to offend you. I just say that if the king himself designated a successor in the case that something happened to him the country would be safer of another invasion and this family stronger."

"I doubt this country needs a child to rule it. That is how this war began much time ago before any of us existed. My husband and I will bring peace to England whatever it costs." One of Anne's great virtues was her ability to appear self-confident in front of others. A part of her was still a frightened child who needed her parents by her side, assuring her that everything would be all right. But she also knew that there were too much at stake and she was defined to play her part in the play chess England was.  

“I pray for it, your grace."

Both women bowed and left. For a few seconds, Anne stood there thinking about the strange woman Margaret Beaufort was. She always knew from her father that the Tudors were not trustworthy people but Anne mistakenly thought that a woman with her spiritual devotion to God and her supposed loyalty to Lancaster could be of use to the government. But the truth is that Margaret Beaufort did not see her as her queen and was unlikely to do so. Married to the king or not, Anne remained a worthy Neville of her name with strong ties to York not only in blood but also in affection. Although she could never confess it to anyone, Anne still felt York was her only salvation, even though they wanted revenge.

* * *

 

During the night in the abbey, Duchess Cecily stared through the translucent window with her rosary between her hands. She had been like that for hours. Sometimes a tear fell from her eyes but never said a word. Isabelle watched her with pity wondering if all the pain she harboured in her heart would ever dissipate. But she doubted it so much. Edward was her pride and the natural heir to her late husband, and yet now he was lying dead underground just like his father. Even worse. It was not known what had happened with his body but it had been heard that his head had been cut off and placed at the gates of London as a symbol of Lancaster's mockery of the York. In times of war, it was difficult to maintain scruples and good judgment but nothing could be expected of a child king with a thirst for innocent blood. But despite what her daughters in law thought about, it wasn't just the image of her son dead on the ground what was in her mind but all the sons she could lose if this war didn't end for once.

"My lady." Isabelle said approaching to her mother in law. She didn't raise her voice to not startle her, but she didn't hear it. The old lady seemed absent as if her body and mind were in completely different places.

"Duchess Cecily. " This time Isabelle slowly and gently grabbed her arm, getting her mother in law to at least look at her sideways and be aware that she was not alone.

"They have been crowned. The French bastard and his wife. And still, I have no words of my sons nor any other noble able to fight for them. No one wants to bring peace to England they just wanna more and more wealth. It is always the same. Edward tried to make this country a safe and peaceful place and they annihilated him. My poor Edward..." Duchess Cecily was no fool. She knew very well that if Edward had not separated the nobles who supported him from the beginning because of his marriage and to please his wife, he would still be alive and with the crown on his head. But maybe that wasn't the time to think about it. Perhaps she only needed to mourn the death of her firstborn before all the anguish within her consumed her first. Her eyes radiated the grief and suffering of a mother to whom they had broken her soul in a thousand pieces.

"It's very cold and you're shaking. Let me walk you to bed." Isabelle knew that nothing she could say would console her, even less when the loss and the fear were so recent, but she hoped that having she by her side in whatever she needed would help her gradually to overcome with time until she regained her health.

She helped her to undress and get into bed to tuck her in. The cold had damaged her bones and especially her joints. Even the slightest movement hurt her and made her feel as if she was going to lose her balance and fall completely to the ground.

 "They will come back, Duchess. God won't punish you again snatching another son." 

Though insignificant, they were the only words Isabelle could say at the time. Not only for her mother in law, but for herself as well. Her loved husband George was in danger along with her brothers. She knew that he would sooner or later return to England, but that also meant returning to a place where his head had a very high price.

"I hope so my dear, or your son will come into this world without his father to protect him." Duchess Cecily touched Isabelle's belly lightly with her hand for a moment and quickly turned away looking at her belly with melancholy. 

Isabelle, astonished, could not believe that her mother in law knew it. She thought she had managed to hide her suspects from everyone at court. Perhaps she even knew before herself. In her mind, Lancaster should have never become king nor her husband had fled into exile. She just wanted to be sure that the pregnancy was going well before telling her husband and the hole royal family. Then the war broke out again turning their lives into a hell again. Everything had happened too fast.

Anyway, how was posible that Duchess Cecily knew then? Perhaps one of her ladies was the duchess's spy. But why? They always were on good terms and had a really good relationship.

As Isabelle walked to her bed she realised that Eleanor was sleeping since some time ago. That assured Isabelle her little secret was still that, just with one more people knowing about it. Isabelle trusted Eleanor and her own loyalty to her husband, but her marriage was not a very happy one and she definitely didn't trust her arrogant and very Lancastrian father who basically sold her to the Earl of Rutland in exchange for not revealing his daughter's marriage with the late King Edward. 

Isabelle began to tremble with the idea that Lancastrian could murder or take away her little one. Her husband's heir. She could not help but miss him more than ever. She needed him on her side safe and sound. They were from the house of York and Lancastrians didn't  have sympathy for anyone. Not even women. Not even children

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment :)


End file.
